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The horrible whistle sounded and my body felt like it was going to spontaneously and instinctually combust like a trained dog would react to such a sound, knowing what that whistle meant. The beginning of Physical Education class or PE, my least favorite class to take ever. All the other students gathered around the white and muscular Bull Terrier gym teacher, Coach Bones, who was wearing a classic coach attire of a tight red polo shirt with the mascot embroidered in the short sleeves, small yet snug black shorts, white sneakers and ankle socks, and a green ball cap with most of his black hair tucked into, as he eyed the students once they gathered around, probably making sure we were all wearing appropriate athletic clothing and then taking roll call. After that was done, he tucked the clipboard into his armpit and clapped his hands.

"Alright class, settle down! Youngberg! Rogers! Knock it off back there! This isn't the wrestling club! I will not be held responsible for your recklessness in my class again!" The man shouted at Jeff and Harold who were trying to get the other trapped in a headlock until Michael quickly separated the two. The coach smiled at Michael. "Thank you Hernandez. Alright, as per school traditions on the first day of school, this gym class will begin with a good ole game of a classic we all know. Dodgeball."

Most of the students cheered at this, mostly the jocks who were almost literally bouncing on each other in excitement. Meanwhile, I sighed in annoyance knowing this was going to happen. I could feel eyes on me and I peeked my head over to see Eli smirking at me with a diminishing look in his harsh gaze. Typical.

"We'll be playing one of my favorite dodgeball gimmicks, Three-Lives. Every student will put on one of two team colors for flag football belts where if you get hit, you lose a life and must take off one colored strap from your belt. If you get hit three times then you are out and there is no returning to the game, even if teammates catch the ball. You can still lose a life if the opposing team catches your ball so be careful and you can block incoming balls with one of your own but if the ball you're holding is knocked out of your grip, you lose a life. Last team with a player standing wins. Come up and grab a green or purple flag football belt and have the green team gather on the north end of the court while the purple team will gather at the south end. We'll begin once every student has a belt on and is in their starting position." Coach Bones instructed us as he stepped aside and walked out of sight as another teacher showed up for him to speak to. The students immediately rushed up and began shouting, desperate to begin snagging up a specific colored belt so that they could play with friends.

I sat back and observed and once things had calmed down at the table, I examined the students and noticed more of the jocks and popular students grabbed the green belts while the others seemed disheartened as they took the purple belts. I found it appropriate that the ones that took the green belts were basically slimeballs and sickening. I soon took notice that only one belt of each color was left and I began my approach and went to reach for the color belt I was wanting. But just as I was reaching down, I felt someone force me away with a full-body tackle as I was knocked down.

I heard some distant laughter and managed to look up in time to see Eli holding the last green belt up in his paw. "Nice try but you'll have to make due with the losers on the purple team. Can't let you get away from the smackdown me and my boys are gonna give you." Eli whispered to me before walking off to his side of the court.

I shook my head before picking myself up but was surprised to now see Michael approaching me while taking off his belt. Eli had stopped walking when he noticed this and followed Michael, completely puzzled as to what he was doing. I eyed him suspiciously before he stopped in front of me and held the green belt out. "Here. You can take mine."

I gave him a deadpan stare. "Why would I do that?"

Michael looked confused at this. "Weren't you going to take the green belt Eli snagged from you?"

"So I can be pelted from behind by my own team? I don't think so. There's a reason why I'm not a fan of these types of classes. I was going to grab the purple belt where I can see you jocks and how you're gonna ambush me. Too bad your Rottweiler friend thought he was being clever when he thought he stopped me from doing what I wanted and was just a stereotypical barbarian in the end." I said that last part loud enough for Eli to hear me as I walked to my side of the court. I could hear Eli growling ferally as Michael was heard trying to calm him down before they both made their way back to their side of the court. I got my belt on and soon stood at the end of my side with the rest of my team as I heard them groaning nervously about the massacre they were about to get from the jocks and populars.

Coach Bones returned at that moment and took his position off the side of the half-court line. "Also one other thing I need to mention! For those of you with claws and talons, if you pop any of the balls in play, you will be immediately eliminated and suspended from participating in any other games this period. I can't deal with almost all these balls being popped by you more competitive students and having to constantly replace them for the school."

I felt a smile creep on my face but it instantly vanished when I saw Eli across the court eying me down and licking his fangs like a hungry predator. This was exactly the reason why I hated this class. Coach Bones put his whistle to his lips and then blew into it, making it echo loudly throughout the gymnasium.

Most of my team attempted to rush to the line and grab the lined up balls but no surprise the jocks beat us to them and began pelting the poor souls as they began quickly tearing off their first straps. I could see Eli with a ball in each hand, looking around my side of the court, probably trying to locate me in the mass of bodies directly in front of him. But soon he saw me and noticed that I didn't rush the line. I was still stationed in the back at the starting position as I smirked and gave him a mocking wave of my fingers. I could see his upper lip snarling at me as he took his dodgeballs and threw them at me but immediately my team began to retreat away from the line and were forming a kind of barrier for me as two other students got hit instead, causing them both to rip off their second straps. So far so good.

I saw multiple balls with my team now as I merged in to grab some free ones on the ground as the bombardment war had now officially and fairly begun. The jocks were getting some quick knockouts as they tag teamed some nerdy or physically inept student one at a time that were isolated from my team. Luckily I was able to coordinate a few of my teammates together and was helping them dwindle down the green team's forces and keep the game quite even.

Eli seemed to notice this too as he sneered at us. "What are you guys doing?! Why haven't we knocked out all those dweebs yet!?" He shouted out at the rest of the remaining green team which consisted of Michael, Harold, Jeff, a male hippopotamus jock, and a female crane cheerleader.

Michael glared at Eli. "What's your deal? It's just a game."

"A game we always win! Yet those nerds are somehow keeping up with us!" Eli argued back. As Eli shouted at Michael multiple balls came rushing over as the hippo and crane were both hit two times each and lost their last two collective lives. Coach Bones blew his whistle and motioned for the two to step off the court which they grumbled as they did. "See! How are they doing this!?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "I dunno. Maybe because they're actually playing the game and not barking orders like you are!"

"Someone has to! I thought our captain was supposed to lead us but I have to do everything myself, don't I?" Eli shouted as he stepped back towards the side of his half of the court. I didn't know what he was planning but I was determined to help my team out so I focused on the green team that was in front of me.

Me and the last four remaining teammates I had went in to take out Michael as we synced up our throws to try and hit the Doberman at multiple high and low spots. Michael seemed to spot this as he took the ball in his hand to deflect one, leaned left to dodge another, and then jumped over two more but I intentionally threw the last ball slightly delayed from the others as Michael landed and my ball perfectly connected against his leg. Coach Bones blew his whistle and motioned for Michael to step off the court. Michael looked back at me and I fully expected him to glare at me but instead I was surprised to see him smile and shoot a thumbs up at me.

I blinked as I watched him walk off the court but suddenly from behind him, where no active player that I could see was and had nearly hit Coach Bones in the face, came a ball flying fast and swiftly at us but more specifically towards a girl standing in front of me who didn't notice this. "Look out!" I shouted out as I yanked her aside only to be pelted in the face hard by the ball. My face went numb as I stumbled back and felt the back of my head smash against the hardwood floor. I groaned in pain as I saw my teammates stand above me looking mortified before they got pelted with balls and soon all walked away with their last straps taken off.

I slowly sat up to see Coach Bones run up to me, blowing his whistle to stop the game, and placing a gentle yet meaty hand on my shoulder as I rubbed the back of my head and nose from the numbing pain. "Are you alright, Conaway?"

I was a bit dazed from both points of impact I took but I managed to stand back up. "Y-Yes sir." I told him.

He then glared at the students on the green team. "Who threw that one ball!?"

Eli raised his hand. "Sorry Coach. I thought I had a better grip on it and it kinda slipped out and nearly hit you." Coach Bones seemed to glare at him suspiciously and I did too. I saw the angle that ball had come from in between Michael and the coach and it looked like it was without a doubt thrown from off the court.

Coach Bones looked at me. "Do you want to sit down, son?" But I only responded by reaching down to my waist and yanking my first purple strap off before handing it to him. At first he seemed surprised by this but soon smiled and patted my shoulder. "Way to be a champ! That's a true Valimore Dragon right there! Game on!" He shouted out and blew the whistle to resume the game.

I reached down and picked up two dodgeballs and soon took notice that all my team really was eliminated and now it was me against Eli and his two kitty goons. I knew I needed to play this perfectly if I wanted to win so I gripped the balls in my hands and took position with his hands down by my sides and in the center of my half of the court. I could hear laughing from Eli and his friends as they pointed at me.

"Look! He thinks he has a chance of winning! We have five lives in total and he has no chance of winning with only two lives! Easy game! Jeff, would you do the honor of pwning that geek?" Eli ordered.

The Bengal tiger simply smiled and replied, "Gladly." He stepped forward and I closed my eyes and began to breathe in a breath to calm myself down. Soon I heard the squeak of a sneaker across the gym floor and shot my eyes open as I saw a ball come flying at me but this time I was ready.

I flung my right hand straight up and the clang of my ball colliding with Jeff's echoed out as I blocked it and sent his ball flying straight up high into the air. I saw most everyone's attention was focused on that ball as it neared the support beams in the ceiling and I decided to show off a little. I quickly took a few steps back before somersaulting forward onto my hands, using the balls to bounce myself forward and onto my feet before hurtling the balls out of my hands and into the unsuspecting sides of Eli and Harold as both jolted from the impact as they looked back to me in shock only to see me smirk as I held a hand up and easily caught the ball that had fallen back down from the air.

Coach Bones blew the whistle and pointed to Jeff. "You're out, Youngberg!"

Jeff looked at the Bull Terrier utterly baffled. "What!? Why?! He didn't tag me out!"

"Yes, he did. He deflected your ball and caught it. Because it never touched the ground, it meant that the ball was still in play by the one who threw it. Conaway threw his balls into Uluave and Rogers but then caught your ball which as I mentioned never touched the ground which took one life from each of you. That means Uluave and Rogers have one life each and you have none. You're out, Youngberg," explained Bones as the bewildered tiger slowly made his way off the court as everyone else stared slack jawed at what I just did with only Coach Bones smiling as proudly as I was.

"No fucking way," I heard Eli mumble under his breath.

"Let's keep playing, boys!" Coach called out as he blew his whistle.

Suddenly I heard cheers from my team erupt as they began rooting for me. Eli growled as he winded up his arm and chucked the ball hard and I saw where he was aiming and had just enough time to react and fling myself through the air to reach out and block it with my free hand's fingers just before it could hit one of my eliminated teammates as me and the ball landed on the ground.

"Hey! Uluave! Watch it! They're not in play!" Coach Bones scolded the Rottweiler.

Eli simply shrugged. "Sorry Coach. I was aiming for the fox but the ball slipped again."

Coach glared at Eli. "Next time it "slips" like that again, you're going to the principal's office! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Crystal," Eli simply responded with.

Coach Bones looked over at me. "You can keep your second life, Conaway, since the ball wouldn't have hit you."

But I shook my head. "That's okay, Coach. I'll be okay without it." I told him as I yanked off my second purple strap, leaving me with one left. Everyone looked at me in disbelief as the last three players with one life each stared each other down.

Eli screamed out as he hurled his next ball at me and I sidestepped to the left to dodge it. But Harold responded immediately by aiming there and throwing a fastball up high at my face yet I retaliated by falling quickly into a splits which made everyone gasp as I effortlessly collapsed and took my shot while in the splits at Harold. He attempted to catch the ball as it flew at him but I threw a second ball at the first one to knock the first ball faster into him and bash against his chest, making the panther stumble back and having Coach blow the whistle and motion Harold out of the game and off the court.

Eli growled as he stood alone and I popped back onto my feet without using my hands to stand back up. The court became a desert with townsfolk and me, the town sheriff was squaring off against the wanted bandit leader. We stared each other down as a rubber tumbleweed was seen bouncing across the plain we stood on as we waited for the other to take the first shot in this duel. Eli was the one to start the duel by shooting at me first but I shot back to block his shot with a shot of my own. We began trading shots back and forth with no one showing any sign of letting up and slowing down. But I was not prepared for Eli to take multiple shots at once and make me fight for my life. I managed to use two shots to block most shots and dodge another two shots before my shoulder was clipped and I recoiled from the shot.

I looked back and saw the bullet return to its original form of a dodgeball as it began flying backwards away from me after bouncing off my shoulder. It felt like I entered the Matrix as time slowed down and I ran after the ball before leaping up and reaching with my right hand out feeling my fingertips touch the ball before I fell down and collapsed to the ground with an echoing thud.

Everyone gasped as they stood on their feet to try and see what had happened as even Coach Bones looked over to me worriedly. However I soon rolled over to my back and revealed the ball held tightly in my one hand. Coach Bones grinned widely at this and blew his whistle before shouting, "Purple team wins!"

My team exploded with cheers as a volcano does lava with them rushing the court and helping me up while jumping around and patting me on the shoulders. Their words became a flurry in my ears as I managed to push my way out and soon saw almost everyone on the green team sneering at me. Almost everyone because I saw Michael smiling, looking beyond impressed. But no surprise was the interjection that immediately came up.

"There's no way! There's no way we lost to someone like you!" Eli growled as he stomped his way over to our side of the court.

Coach Bones instantly blocked Eli's path and grabbed his shoulder with one hand. "Don't even think about it, Uluave!" He warned the young Rottweiler.

"But Coach, he's not a jock! There's no way he could've outplayed us jocks like that! He must have cheated!" Eli shouted back.

"You're right about one thing," I responded back, walking up to them. "I am not a jock yet I still used my particular set of skills to completely dominate this game. But I'm no cheater like you claim."

"You're lying!" retaliated Eli.

"Knock it off, Uluave!" Coach growled at Eli before looking at me. "Though I am extremely curious how you managed to do what you did. In particular, how did you manage to keep your grip on the ball and deflect and block all those shots? Rogers is our best pitcher for the baseball team and I could tell he was not holding back on those throws and yet you kept your grip."

I smiled at him. "It was not hard. I just used the tips of my claws to help me get a better grip on the balls."

Eli pointed accusingly at me. "He admitted it! He did cheat! Coach forbade us from using our claws during the game! That means his team is disqualified!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes at him. "You really need to be more observant if you want to try and get me in trouble. Coach Bones instructed us not to use our claws if we were going to pop the balls. I didn't pop any balls and I didn't have my claws fully extended out like you probably think I did. I only retracted the tips of them out of my fingers."

"Could you show me?" Coach Bones requested me.

"Of course!" I answered as I held my hand up and pushed my claws from my fingertips just so the tips of my claws were sticking out before holding the ball in my hand. "You see most of my grip is on the ball using my fingers but my claws stick out just enough to act as a kind of safety rail that helps the ball stay in my grasp even with a strong force smashing against it. Also, because my nails aren't too exposed, they can't be pushed too harshly against the ball's surface and are therefore incapable of puncturing the ball. So while I technically didn't fully adhere to your claw rules, I technically didn't do anything wrong since the reason you set the rule was to prevent the balls from popping. Which as you saw, I never did."

Coach Bones took the ball from my hand and examined it before smiling at it. "This was quite the strategy you managed to pull off. You and your team deserved this win. Congrats Conaway."

Everyone began cheering again as they began chatting my ear up, complimenting me on my strategy and my incredible maneuverability. Soon Coach got them to settle down, gather up the belts and dodgeballs, and start a new, more chill game with the basketballs. We each got into two lines for each hoop and began shooting the ball at the hoop in turns to score with two points on the first shot or one point however many times it takes for the shooter to land the ball in the hoop. First line at each hoop to reach thirty points wins.

I saw a line that had a few spots open for some students to fill and I began jogging over to it before I felt my tail get grabbed and yanked back. I writhed from the pain as I was forced back as Eli rushed past me with his friends. "Coming through, twerp," laughed Eli as they filled up the line I was heading for.

I would be glaring at him but I was trying to suppress the tears in my eyes as I stroked the spot on my tail that got manhandled, trying to dull the pain. I soon heard footsteps jogging up behind me and saw Michael coming over to me. I quickly released my tail and looked away from him and he came up to my side.

"Hey, Wes. Are you okay?" He asked me.

"I'm fine. Also, it's Wesley, remember?" I reminded him.

Michael let out a little laugh. "Right, I'm sorry. I forgot you only allow friends to give you nicknames. My bad for assuming I was your friend."

I didn't respond as we just stood there with the only sound filling the awkward atmosphere was the dribble of basketballs and that beautiful swish sound of the balls catching onto the nets. I folded my arms just wanting him to go away but could see him in the corner of my vision eyeing me, looking gleeful as if oblivious to my social cues.

"I noticed you don't have a line to shoot hoops with yet. The line I'm at only has nine people and needs a tenth person if you wanted to play," Michael offered me.

I eyed him suspiciously, trying to deduce what his mind game was by inviting me to play with him. But I knew if I didn't participate in the activity, Coach Bones would probably be docking my grade for the day for standing around. I let out an exasperated sigh. "Sure." I shrugged uninterested as I made my way over to the line Michael came from.

The two of us got into the line as Michael stood in front of me and I stood behind him in the back of the line. As the line slowly began moving forward, Michael turned his head so he could talk to me.

"That dodgeball game was beyond cool. You totally dominated that match," Michael said this like he was congratulating me but I wasn't falling for it.

"Like you really mean it," I grumbled.

Michael's smile slightly faded at me saying that. "But I do mean it. Whatever you did to pull off moves like that, it was very surprising and threw everyone off guard."

"That's because I'm a nerd who knows how to utilize tactics against stronger opponents. Besides, you jocks hate losing especially to someone as inferior as me," I mocked him.

Michael shook his head. "Not at all. I mean sure winning is nice but I don't mind if I lose from time to time. Especially to a nerd like yourself who definitely shouldn't be so self shaming by calling himself inferior. You clearly aren't."

'Oh, he's good.' I thought with strong sarcasm, 'You know what? I'll play along. Haven't tried the reversal play in a long while.' I gave him a poker face with a genuine smile attached. "You're right. Complimenting myself and then immediately following it up with a jab was foolish of me."

Michael shrugged. "Lots of people unintentionally judge themselves without realizing it. I'm no different."

"Bullshit," I called him out in my head before smiling and replying out loud, "Oh yeah? I never would have guessed."

Michael raised an eyebrow at that. "Really?"

"Yeah, of course," I simply remarked back.

He then chuckled at me. "You're a strange one, Wes- er Wesley. I like that."

He suddenly flashed a cute grin at me and despite my reservations about him, I couldn't stop the blush that spread across my face. I shook it off as Michael was called out by the student in front of him who bounced the basketball over to him before calling out the score. Michael dribbled the ball in place before taking his shot outside of the line but to my surprise missed the hoop as it bounced off the backboard and he ran after it. He then dribbled it back to our line and closer to the hoop before shooting once more only to have it bounce off the hoop and miss again.

I blinked as I unknowingly called out, "Wow, for a jock, I'm surprised you're not able to get the ball into the hoop."

Michael turned to face me and I was expecting an angry response but he only laughed nervously. "I know right? Pretty pathetic. I'm better at football than I am at most other sports."

I was taken aback by this statement. I have never heard a jock diss their own prowess like that and so casually as well. "I mean not everyone is perfect at everything they do." I stated.

"Too true," replied Michael as he took another shot and this time managed to get the one point shot. He turned and bounced the ball to me with the score, "Thirteen."

I dribbled the ball a bit before taking aim at the spot on the backboard from the angle I was at compared to the position I was in and saw the line of fire being drawn out in front of me before taking the shot as the ball instantly sunk into the net with that perfect sound. "Make that fifteen," I noted before running up to grab the ball and passing it to the next kid in line.

I noticed Michael hadn't even made it back to the end of the line and he was looking at me almost with the exact amount of surprise he showed during the dodgeball game. "Wow. That was impressive. You didn't seem hesitant at all while taking that shot."

"I mean it's not that difficult for me. I've memorized all the possible angles of shooting the basketball to get guaranteed shots into the hoop," I told him.

Michael soon slapped me in the back which threw me a bit off balance with how hard it was. "You really are something else, Wesley! You continue to amaze me!"

Once again I felt a blush flash onto my face as I looked away from him. "Uh... thanks."

"Hey, maybe we can hang out sometime. I'd love it if you'd show me how to shoot a basketball as well as you do!" suggested Michael.

I felt myself seize up at that offer as I quickly shrugged at him and answered, "I'm not sure. I tend to be pretty busy after school with homework and other nerdy stuff you wouldn't be interested in."

Michael blew air from his closed lips at that. "Pfft. That wouldn't be an issue with me. If homework really is keeping you from being social then I can come over and we can do it together! That way we can help you do more after school!"

"I-I still can't. You see... my parents don't like people coming over to our place unless they've met them beforehand. S-Sorry," I lied, trying to get out of this situation I somehow managed to get myself in.

Michael seemed to lose a bit of his smile at this. "Oh. That's a shame. Well, hopefully I get to meet your parents soon."

"Maybe one day," I replied before thinking to myself, "Like that'll ever happen."

We kept shooting hoops while making idle chit-chat with each other before Coach Bones directed us to the last activity of the period before excusing us to the locker rooms to get showered up and dressed before the school day came to an end. A female giraffe coach followed the girls into their locker room while Coach Bones followed the guys into the boy's locker room and then into his office inside.

All the other boys were showering together in the communal area of the showers, laughing and roughhousing with each other like typical sociopaths in the making. Luckily the school had a few private shower stalls that I was able to snag so I didn't have to wait for all the other guys to finish their showers before I could get in mine. I let the water spray down my face as I tried to forget about the bad things that this school was dishing out to me to no surprise at all. I was just wanting to get out, get dressed, and get home before anything bad happened.

Once I finished washing myself, I wrapped the towel around my waist and stepped out from behind the curtain. I was making my way to the locker holding my stuff when I was grabbed and then tripped over someone's foot. I yelped as I couldn't catch my balance on the wet tile floor and couldn't stop myself from slipping forward. I braced myself as best I could with my arms side-by-side, curled up and over my head as I crashed into the ground. I cried out from the sudden pain my left elbow had taken from the impact as I rolled onto my side, seething in pain and gripping it in agony.

I shakily looked up to see Eli approaching me with a glare in his gaze as he and his two goons stood over me. Eli soon spoke up. "Next time you try to show off and humiliate us, we'll make sure you can't pull off those fancy tricks. You're a nerd, right? So you better learn your place before we give you a tutoring you'll not soon forget."

The three of them chuckled in a way I can only describe as quite literally evilly. They briskly walked past me and as soon as they were out of my sight, I finally allowed the tears to fall from my eyes as the pain became too much for me to hide. I tried getting back up but with my one arm in so much pain and the wet floors, I wasn't successful in my attempts.

I soon heard footsteps getting closer and soon heard a gasp. "Holy shit! Are you okay, Wesley!" I had expected it to be Coach Bones but since he didn't use my last name as he normally did, I knew who it had to be.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay, Michael. I just slipped. Stupid wet floor," I fibbed with my eyes clenched shut, not wanting him to see me crying and give him the chance to insult me.

"Here! Let me help you up!" Michael sounded desperate as I felt him grab my right arm with both hands before I shook him off.

"I don't need help!" I suddenly shouted at him.

Michael jumped back with his hands held up in defense. "A-Are you sure? I can get Coach Bones if you want-"

"I SAID I DON'T NEED YOU!" I screamed out even louder as the rush of anger helped me fight through the pain as I was able to get myself onto my knees and then push myself onto one foot and then the other before lifting myself up to stand fully. Without looking back, I walked forward and rounded the corner to get to my locker, not seeing the horror-stricken face I inflicted on Michael as all he did was watch me walk away from him.